Fiber doffing device



Aug. 26, 1952 R. A. RUSCA ET AL 2,607,958

FIBER DOFFING DEVICE Filed May 16, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS R.A.RUSCA R.C.YOUNG ATTORNEY) Aug. 26, 1952 R. A. RUSCA ET AL 2,607,958

FIBER DOFFING DEVICE Filed May 16, 1950 a Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS R.A'*.RUSCA R.C.Y U NG I BY ATTORNEYS 25, 1952 R. A. RUSCA ET AL FIBER DOFFING DEVICE Filed May 16, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 TM nunununun nurunun n n n L u n m1 un n r INVENTORS ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 26, 1952 FIBER DOFFING DEVICE Ralph A. Rusca and Ray Young, New Orleans, La., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture Application May 16, 1950, Serial No. 162,380

(Granted under the act of March 3,1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 3700. G. 757) 1 Claim.

The invention herein described may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes throughout the World without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a device for dofiing cotton or other fibers from a rotatable-processing cylinder such as a toothed cylinder, spiked drum, a smooth or fluted roll, etc., particularly to such a device for dofling cotton from a toothed cylinder of the cotton-working machine of U. S. Patent No. 2,365,793, and has among its objects the provision of such a doffing device which is longwearing. Other objects will be apparent from the description of the invention.

The cotton working machine of Patent No. 2,365,793 is a fiber processing machine having a number of rotatable processing toothed cylinders, each of which collects fibers on its periphery during their processing. In this machine the fibers are dofied from the cylinder by rotating brush-cylinders (for example, those characterized by the numerals 30 and 31 in the patent). The brushes on these cylinders are not long wearing, however, due to destructionof the bristles by contact with the toothed cylinders. In the instant invention an improved doffer for removing the fibers from the processing toothed cylinder of the afore-mentioned cotton working machine is provided.

In general, according to the present invention,

the doifer comprises a rotatable dolfer cylinder having its axis parallel to that of the processing cylinder and having, also, radially extending doifer teeth on its periphery which run closely adjacent to; but out of contact with, the periphcry of the processing cylinder. The forward edge of each of these dofier teeth is constructed at such an angle to the radius of the doifer cylinder that the teeth collect the fibers from the periphery of the processing cylinder as they .run closely adjacent thereto, and the fibers .are expelled. therefrom by centrifugal force within a complete revolution of the doffer cylinder.

Due to the fact that the dofier teeth do not contact the processing cylinder the dolfing device is subject to little wear.

. 2 ence is made to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a cotton working machine of the type shown in Fig. -1 of U. S. Patent No. 2,365,793, with parts broken away for purpose of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a partial section along the lineZ-Z of Fig. 1, part being a top plan view of a processing cylinder and dofier cylinder; V

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the dofier teeth;

Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of a second modification showing a processing cylinder and a doifer cylinder; 7 Q

Fig. 5 is a schematic plan view ofa third modification showing a processing cylinder and a dofier cylinder;

Fig. 6 is a schematic plan view of a fourth modification showing a processing cylinder. and

adofier cylinder; 1

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of a portion of ,a roller gin apparatus embodying the dofieryanid Fig. 8 is a vertical section illustrating a cage condenser embodying the doffer. Referring with more particularity to Figures 1-3 of the drawing, there are shown processing toothed-cylinders l l and I 2 and endless feedbelt axis of rotation parallel to the ax-isrof rotation of theprocessing cylinder. Rotation of the doffer cylinder may be accomplished by any suitable means, such as a belt and drive pulley similar to that shown in the patent for rotating thebrushcylinders. Cylinder 14 comprises essentially a shaft IE on which are mounted a number of discs i6, each of which is provided withperipheral-lh' shaped doffer teeth 11, these discs being axially .spaced'by spacing-discs I8. The parts areheld' assembled by clamping nut-l9. W i

The doffer teeth I1, which extend radially-on the periphery of the doff er cylinder, run closely 3 adjacent to, but out of contact with, the periphery of the processing cylinder [2. Th forward edge 20 of each of the doffer teeth I! is constructed at such an angle X t the radius of the doifer cylinder I4 that the teeth collect the fibers from the periphery of the processing cylinder as they run closely adjacent thereto. The shape of the doffer teeth is important. For cotton fibers each tooth should be rearwardly inclined from the direction .of rotation at the angle X from about to 45", the angle depending on the rotational speed and diameter of the doffer cylinder. Thus, for a 7 /2 inch diameter cylinder rotating at 800 R. P. M., a angle has been fpund to give best results.

After the teeth collect the fibers from the processing cylinder, the fibers are expelled by centrifugal force within a complete revolutionof the doffer cylinder, generally in about a onequarter revolution, into a duct 2| and thereafter conveyed by air currents, created by a suctionfan (not shown) to any subsequent process. Air from the atmosphere enters through inlet port '22. p

In the embodiments illustrated in Figs. 1-3, it is essential that the processing cylinder and doffer 5 cylinder rotate in opposite directions and that the peripheral speed of the doffer cylinderexceed ,thatof the processing-cylinder, preferably with "the dofier cylinder peripheral speedbeing about "twice that of the processing cylinder.

Discs IE. may be constructed either of non- -yieldable or of yieldable materials. For cotton fibers-we have found that metal discs are preferable, but in applications on other machines and "on other :materialsgleather, canvas, rubber and similarmaterials can be employed. The hard disc has the advantage of long life with a minimum of wear, while the soft disc is less apt to damage delicate fibers. V

' Similarly, the spacing discs l8 may be constructed either of hardpr soft materials, We ,havefound the former to be superior for most "uses because of its improved wearing qualities; however, the apparatus will work equally well with yieldable-Spaoing discs. The discs l8 should prefl'erablybe of 'a diameter large enough to be within g-inch of the rootof the teeth I 1 on discs 16.

ln theembodiment, shown in Fig. 4, the discs 2 5 of 'doffer cylinder 2 6 are inclined by suitable ;-means to produce a wobble motion ofthe teeth *whenin operation and thereby cause the doffer teeth to sweep-back and forth across the processing cylinder 21. For doifing cotton fibers, the teeth of the dofiershould :clear the teeth of the processing cylinder :by approximately inch; howevenilarger clearances can be usedif desired. This-method of wobbling the discs 25wo11ks well with the processing cylinder teeth rotating in a :fixedplane, V ,In, the embodiment shown in Fig. 5 both the processing cylinder discs 300i processing cylinder f 3lf'an'd thediscs 32 of dofier cylinder 33, are inclined by suitable means to produce a wobbling motion' of the teeth;carried thereby. This/method qf --wobbli ng the discs of "both the processing 'and -dofier cylinders is employed the wellknown art ofreginningcottori lint.

Figure *6 illustrates an embodiment which has 'bee'n found to-work-satisfactorily, and is 'pre "ferred for use when very short fibers are to be dofied. The discs 35 -of dofiercylinder 36 are Fortcotton fibers ithetips of the dofferteeth-s-hould mesh to 'theroot-of theprocessing cylinder teeth.

Figure 7 illustrates application of the doffer to a conventional roller type gin used for ginning long-staple seed cottons. Seed cotton 40 is fed into a hopper 4| where it is agitated into contact with roller 42. Roller 42 is covered with walrus hide 43, or hydraulic packing material, which has the property of causing cotton fibers to adhere to its surface. Fixed knife 44 and movable knife 45 co-act to shear off the cotton seed, thereby pernitting the fibers to be carried aroundon roller 42 in the direction indicated. Seeds 46 gravitate out of the gin on chute 41. Knife 45 is caused to move in a vertical plane by use of an eccentric 48 and push bar 49, or by other suitable means. 'Dofier cylinder 50 rotatably mounted in pairs of bearings (not shown) and rotated by any suitable means in the direction shown, removes the fibers from roller 42.

The present invention has the advantage of positively removing the fibers from the walrus hide roller, which prevents the roller from carrying around the fibers and causing chokages at the seed chute or the knife blades. Heretofore, roller 42 was doffed by-rubber flaps fastened to the surface of a dofiing roll, or occasionally by the use of airsuction at some pointonroller 4,2, Neither of these methods is positive in action, and neither prevents fibers from aecumulatingon the surfac of the'roll and causing subsequent to eof the gin. r

.Axf-urth r application .ofthe present invention is for dol ng fib rs-from conv ntional t ile. se condensers. Figure 8, for example, shows an embod m nt wherein our inventionis -usecl .;in tandard suction typecage condenser, v,Cottonor.c'athel text le fibers 15 5 are conve ed by ai o-e ne folated .metalor open mesh screen .drum 55. Drum 156 isrotatably mounted n pa ci b a i .(not shown) and is positively driven in th direction indicated bylany suitable means. An airtight metal enclosure 5] directs the fibersjto the drum. The fiberconvey ngair xh sts thr u h the perforations of drum 5'6, and thence'through the ends of the drum. through ducts (not shown) into the, suctionfan ,(not shown) and thence into the outside atmosphere, thereby forming a'bat offibers on the'drum exterior surface. Baffl -58 sea-ls off the air suction-from the lower part of drum-56. Roll '59 assists in forming the fibrous 'bat against the condenser drum. 'Dofier cylinder 60 is rotatably mounted and positively driven-in the direction shown; Any conventional driving means may be used for this purpose. Each ble processing cylinder'which collects fibers-0n its periphery during-their.processing, a doffer for .r novmg th'eifibers from the processing cylinder, said dofier comprising 5.3 rotatableidofier cylinder withits axis parallel-tothat of the processing cylinder and provided with radially extending doffer teeth on its periphery runninglclosely adjacent to, utout ofcontmt with, the ripher of .the processmg cylinder, the forward edge of each of said doffer teeth being constructed at such an angle to the radius of the dofier cylinder that the doffer teeth collect the fibers from the periphery of the processing cylinder as they run closely adjacent thereto, and the fibers are expelled therefrom by centrifugal force within a complete revolution of the dofier cylinder.

RALPH A. RUSCA.

RAY C. YOUNG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

6. UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Hogg Nov. 5, 1901 Allen et al Apr. 26, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain of 1908 

